The boss of Irish Distillers, Anna Malmhake, is to leave the post to become chief executive of the Absolut Company.

Both firms are part of the Pernod Ricard group and her appointment is part of a major management and organisational changes announced by the company this morning.

She's being succeeded by Jean-Christophe Coutures, who is currently chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard Winemakers. Irish Distillers' brands include Jameson.

Paul Duffy, who is currently the chairman and chief executive of The Absolut Company has been named chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard North America.

The company’s Americas business is being split, and Mr Duffy, will run the unit that comprises the US and Canada. The Latin American operations that had been part of the Americas unit now will report to Pernod Ricard’s Europe, Middle East and Africa unit.

“It’s pretty straightforward: 90pc of the Americas region is the US and Canada,” Alexandre Ricard, Pernod Ricard’s chief executive officer, said in an interview. “it was more simple to say, let’s have a North America division.”

Earnings this will increase by 1pc to 3pc on an organic basis, Pernod said, reiterating a forecast it made in October. Absolut accounts for more than a third of Pernod’s sales in the U.S. and is losing market share to new entrants such as Tito’s Handmade Vodka and New Amsterdam.